Dragons currently have eight overseas players on the books for the coming season.
Inisi, Paea and Tuitavuki are joined by Samoa scrum-half Ereatara Enari, South Africans Rob Hunt and Tinus de Beer, Argentine Rodrigo Martinez and New Zealander Terrell Peita, who is yet to link up with his new team-mates.
All of them are leading contenders for the starting line-up – and Peita and the injured Enari are the only ones not involved this weekend – but have been signed to boost homegrown talent, not block it.
Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia did just that when playing at the Ospreys, one of the overseas players that had a huge role in developing a positive environment for the likes of Justin Tipuric, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Biggar, James Hook and Rhys Webb.
“When recruiting it is critical that players are going to add something that we don’t have,” said Tiatia, a twice-capped former All Black whose brother, Ace, played for Samoa.
“They are all good men with leadership and willingness to share knowledge to grow some of our young players.
“They are men of faith, similar to me, and I understand them pretty well. I trust that they will add to our game and challenge.”
As with a Welsh signing, there are no guarantees in recruitment.
Dragons signed Tongan number eight Solomone Funaki in 2024 with the hope of him being a destructive presence, but knee problems meant he left without playing a competitive game.
Hamstring surgery has denied Tiatia the chance to press Super Rugby winner Enari into immediate action but the early signs are promising with Tuitavuki.
“Anzelo has been fantastic,” said Tiatia, who coached the wing and Inisi during a spell at Moana Pasifika.
“He is a great communicator and defensively is world-class around scanning opportunities, pictures, threats. He has been really good for our young group.”
Dragons have twice had a strong South African influence.
They inherited Andy Marinos and Percy Montgomery from Newport RFC in 2003 and they were joined by Bobby Skinstad and Shawn van Rensburg.
The Dragons side defeated by Montpellier in the 2016 Challenge Cup semi-finals featured Brok Harris, Rynard Landman, Sarel Pretorius and Carl Meyer.
In 2008-9 there was a Kiwi twang in Newport thanks to the presence of Tom Willis, Nigel Hall, Grant Webb, Hoani MacDonald, plus Japan fly-half James Arlidge from Hamilton.
Now it is the turn of the Tongan trio to try and become overseas cult heroes.
